


A Hero Known as a Father

by BetaWriter



Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: Alternate Universe - Time Travel, dad being a better dad
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-10-02
Updated: 2019-10-12
Packaged: 2020-11-15 11:10:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 12,838
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20865245
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BetaWriter/pseuds/BetaWriter
Summary: The one who gets thrown back in time isn’t Byleth but Jeralt.





	1. Where our Story Began

The warmth of his child’s tears, that was the last thing Jeralt thought of when the world went dark. When he came to, he stood at the edge of a field of flowers. Shades of vibrant colors flowers filled his vision and in the distance, he could see figures gleefully running, playing, shouting… beckoning him to come towards them. And as he attempted to step into the field, a tug at the hem of his shirt stopped him. 

He turned. A child, vibrant green hair and matching eyes glittering with some unearthly gleam, spoke, her voice captivating in a supernatural way, “If you move forward, you cannot return.”

“Where else would I go?” The question escaped his lips before he even realized he had asked it. 

“Back.” She answered simply as though he should understand.

Jeralt’s mind hadn’t comprehended the situation nor could it fully. The surrealness of dying was a concept that the dead couldn’t truly understand. “My wife is there.” His gaze returned to field and the people in the distance. He didn’t know how he knew that, but he knew. He wanted to see her. 

Another tug, “Oh you fool, like father like daughter…” The child sighed impatiently, “Your daughter needs you.” 

“Daughter…?” The gears began to turn.

“Go back. Byleth needs you. Return and help her where I could not.”

Byleth. Her name was all it took for images to flash through his mind. Their parting, the pain, the blood, the tears… “Byleth…” He breathed turning away from the field and finally seeing the large gilded door behind the child.

“Return. Return to when our story began.” She smiled pushing the door open, a bright light enveloping the two of them. She repeated, “Help her where I could not.” 

Though the child before him was a mystery, Jeralt cast one more glance towards the flower fields. “Wait for me.” And without another word, he pushed through the light.

  


A loud gasp escaped his throat as his eyes flew open. He took deep breaths, chest heaving as he sat up. It was as though he emerged from the depths for a desperately needed breath or air. He realized he was in a bedroom, an inn of sorts. _ A dream? _

He didn’t have time to ponder as the door to the room suddenly flew open, Byleth in the doorway with her sword in hand, expression ever so slightly concerned. A subtle twitch under her right eye told Jeralt that. Something that he had only picked up on after years of watching his child grow. Upon realizing there wasn’t a threat in the room, she sheathed her weapon hand remaining on the hilt just in case.

Jeralt smiled ever so slightly, “Hey, kid,” He watched her body relax as she nodded. “Sorry, did I wake you?” The view outside the window told him it was still dark outside. They had stopped for the night, but Jeralt didn’t feel as though he had recovered any energy as he yawned. It felt as though the fatigue of a few years washed over him; his lower back ached.

“Bad dreams?” Byleth’s soft voice, though monotonous, expressed worry. Jeralt wasn’t one for bad nights of sleeping or at least, not so bad that Byleth would notice. Her hand pressed against his forehead, but her father pulled away.

He snorted, “I’m fine, kid, just didn’t sleep well. How about you? Did you have that dream again?” A strange feeling washed over him. Hadn’t he been here before?

“I was dreaming about a young girl…” 

A young girl… Green hair, vibrant eyes staring him down, “Help her where I could not.” He winced, bringing his hand to his head as a flood of memories suddenly overwhelmed him. 

_ “You’re just a pathetic old man.” _

_ “Sorry, it looks like... I’m going to have to leave you now…” _

_ “Return.” _

_ “Thank you… kid.” _

_ “Return to where our story began.” _

He flinched at Byleth’s sudden touch snapping him out of his thoughts. His daughter’s expression was ever so slightly contorted knowing this was abnormal for Jeralt. “Sorry, I just… I don’t think I’ve ever met a girl like that.” _ Lies. _His lips felt dry and the pounding in his head didn’t seem to be going away. Forcing a smile to ease Byleth, he continued, “It’s time to get moving. Our next job is in the Kingdom, right?” How did he know that? He hid his wince as current moments and past moments began to merge. Realization was dawning on him though. “Could you remind your old man of the date?”

“22nd of Great Tree Moon, 1180,” 

His lips pursed in a thin line. They would meet the kids tonight. 

_ ...where our story began. _

This is the point at which things begin to change. 

He forced himself onto his feet. “Don’t worry about me. Oh don’t look at me like that. You’re way too young to be worrying about me.” He ruffled her hair with a smirk. “Go on. I’m sure they’re already waiting for us.” Hesitant, Byleth left the room to take care of her own things. Jeralt wasn’t sure what made his daughter worry so, but he supposed he normally hid things rather well even when he was drunk. He really blamed himself a bit for Byleth’s stunted emotions since he himself had grown accustomed to not showing anything outwardly. 

Well, if he was getting another shot at this, it wouldn’t hurt for him to be a little more open to Byleth. He had thought he had done relatively well as a parent, but in hindsight, perhaps he had kept his daughter close but not too close, wary of whatever Rhea had done. He wasn’t entirely sure why he was the one chosen to return in time. He felt his part to play in the things to come were relatively minor. _ Wasn’t that by choice though? _ Shaking his head, he decided now wasn’t the time to wallow in his thoughts. He needed to help some rich brats after all.

  


“Pardon our intrusion. We wouldn’t bother you were the situation not die.” The blonde one, Prince Dimitri he recalled, was the first to speak.

Jeralt mulled over his words before speaking, “What are students from Garreg Mach doing here?”

If they were surprised he recognized their uniforms, they didn’t show it. “We’re being pursued by a group of bandits. I can only hope that you will be so kind as to lend your support.” 

“Bandits, hmph, then they’ve probably followed you here.” He glanced at Byleth. “We can’t abandon this village now. Come on, let’s move.” His daughter nodded as he called for the rest of his men to move out. “Divide into two and flank them. Byleth and I got the center. Claude, with me, Byleth, take the other two around the tower.”

There was a trace of surprise on Claude’s expression as they split. “Guess my reputation precedes me if the legendary Blade Breaker knows my name. Well, I guess Alliance news does get around...”

In truth, Jeralt only recalled his name due to Byleth’s fondness for him. Well, the fact that he knew any of their names was due to Byleth telling him about her students. He realized his error but brushed it off, “Less talking, more fighting.” They needed to move fast after all if they wanted the upper hand. Approaching the village entrance, the mercenary leader didn’t give the bandits a chance to speak as he cut them down with his lance. An arrow whizzed by taking down a third one. “Not bad. Maneuver carefully and behind me. Take down what you can.” He could hear Byleth fighting nearby spurring him to move a little faster. 

Claude’s aim wasn’t perfect, but the kid was definitely a decent shot (better than some of his own men) enough for Jeralt to trust him to take a few stray bandits down. He was probably being a little more brutal than usual taking most of the bandits down in one hit or two, but he couldn’t shake his uneasiness. Something happened last time. What was it? 

He snapped back as his lance struck metal. His opponent’s axe had shielded a blow.

“What the?! Aren’t you Jeralt the Blade Breaker? What’s a renowned mercenary like you doing here?” 

Jeralt snorted, “I’m the one who should be complaining. I’m caught up in the mess you started!” A few more assaults and the bandit backed off, some of the others moving in to try to get a hit in. Not that they were able to, the merc picked them off one by one with relative ease. Exhaling, he still couldn’t shake the uneasiness despite finishing the enemies around him. Claude seemed to have scampered off too realizing there were no enemies here or at least realizing that Jeralt didn’t need anymore assistance.

The former Blade Breaker directed his horse towards a clearing he had seen Byleth move to. For a moment, he freezes as he watches his daughter move to shield the Emperor’s daughter from an incoming axe, an attack that would certainly kill. Despite attempts to move, he finds himself stuck in place, and it’s as the horror and worry of losing his child sets in that he sees a familiar green child. Or at least, he thinks he sees her. Her ghostly apparition appeared to be hovering over Byleth scolding her, and he watches, watches as the hands of time move backwards, as the bandit falls back upon the ground, as Byleth returns a few feet away. 

It happens in but a moment; Jeralt might have believed his eyes were playing tricks if not for the fact that the child locked eyes with him and smiled cheekily before disappearing as time resumed. 

This time, Byleth properly blocked the attack with her sword sending the bandit flying. “Hey… Did you just…” Jeralt didn’t have a chance this time or last time to finish his question as shouts were heard from behind.

“The Knights of Serios are here! We’ll cut you down for terrorizing our students! Hey! The thieves are running away. Go after them. The students seem to be unharmed. And… who’s this?”

Right, Alois. The merc grimaced knowing it was far too late to hide now. At least, the uneasiness had disappeared. “Alois,” He greeted first knowing the onslaught of words were incoming.

“Captain Jeralt?! It is you!” His blathering was irritating but also welcoming in a way. Perhaps it was the nostalgia and the thought of Alois mourning his death. Not to be prideful, but Jeralt was aware his death had probably caused quite the stir. He could only imagine how loudly Alois had cried and how hard he would have tried to keep up a front for Byleth. So, even though this man could be a loud nuisance who continued to move his mouth, the former captain got off his horse and patted the man’s shoulder almost affectionately.

“It’s good to see you.” And he meant it. 

It threw Alois off to the point where he almost welled up in tears. “The Captain missed me? Oh what an honor, well your right-hand man is happy to see you as well!”

Jeralt turned his attention to his daughter who had come to his side, “Byleth, change in plans, we’ll be going to Garreg Mach monastery.”

Though surprised by his decision, Byleth simply nodded. 

“Really?!” Alois couldn’t have screeched louder. “You’re returning, Captain?!”

Jeralt sighed, “Enough with the captain nonsense. It’s inevitable that I’d return to Garreg Mach… even I wouldn’t dare run from the Knights of Seiros. Just give us a moment to get my men in gear.” He didn’t give Alois a moment to respond as he remounted his horse. He held out a hand to Byleth who seemed puzzled. “It’s faster this way.” Despite being hesitant for a moment, she climbed onto his horse, and they rode back to the inn.

Byleth didn’t need more than a minute to put her stuff together. They had been trained to get ready to move at a moment’s notice after all. She was, however, surprised at her father’s turtle speed, as though he were hesitant.

Before she could question him though, he spoke, “Byleth.” If he was worried, he was hiding it well. “If you don’t want to go to Garreg Mach, we don’t have to. If you… don’t want to do anything, that’s fine. We can go somewhere far away. Beyond the borders of Fódlan...” This was the first time she had ever heard him talk like this. It threw her off, and she stared at him eyebrow raised ever so slightly. He chuckled softly, “Listen to me, I bet you think I’m crazy…” She shook her head though she was concerned. “I think… Garreg Mach will change things for us. I want you to be okay with that.”

In his mind, Jeralt wanted to run away just as he had all those years ago. To take Byleth and go somewhere far, far away… where they would never face the trials that Garreg Mach had put them through. Yet, he couldn’t just tell her that going there would inevitably kill him and possibly her. That Rhea was hiding something and goddess knows how messed up things were going to get. That a tiny child told him to help her somehow, and he didn’t have the faintest clue as to what to do.

Byleth’s hand covered his comfortingly. “We’ll be okay.” And that was that. She hadn’t really indicated that she did or did not want to go, but Jeralt felt it would be a greater sin to take his daughter away again. Fate tied them to Garreg Mach… but that didn’t mean he wouldn’t try to cut through those strings. 

"You're right, we'll be alright." He smiled ruffling her hair. “Look at me, getting all worked up over nothing… I must be going senile.” 

Ducking away and straightening her hair, she asked, “Are we going…?”

Nodding, he stood up. “To Garreg Mach, you’ll do great there.” Though she didn’t quite understand what he meant by that, she nodded in agreement. “I’ll be there to support you.”

This time, he would be there for her… hopefully for a longer time than last.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Personally, I think Jeralt could have been a better dad than portrayed in the game, but I also think he maintains a sort of distance which is kind of justified by the unease he has towards Rhea and what she did to Byleth. I guess I just think it could have hurt a little more when he died. I'm a sucker for dramatic moments anyway.


	2. The Sun that Doesn't Shine

Sothis is screaming. She doesn’t realize she is, but she is.

Because it’s been hours now, and Byleth won’t wake up. 

And she recognizes that there’s nothing there now, no soul, no person, no Byleth.

That doesn’t mean she accepts it.

She needs to get help, but who can help a goddess? Certainly no one among the living...

So she moves, moves past the realms of the living and into the dead. Because time doesn’t flow here, not in the way mortals can understand it, she finds someone who can help. Breaking the rules of time is dangerous, she knows, but Byleth won’t wake up and Sothis can’t accept that. 

When Sothis wakes up again (and who knows how many times it’s been), it’s a little jarring, and also relieving because Byleth is there now, even if she has no idea who Sothis is. Sure, she has to keep the memories at bay so that Byleth isn’t overwhelmed by the flow of time and doesn’t see that Sothis was a hypocrite.

_ If turning back the hands of time was not enough to save his life, you must accept what came to pass was fate... _

At that time, Sothis could not comprehend the mortal feelings of Byleth, but she now finally understood (too late). She could not accept it, so she must fight it. But she knew her actions were not without consequence, she likely could not return again, and the Divine Pulse felt twisted as if straining, cracking in the flow of time. She hoped, perhaps foolishly, that gambling on another mortal would make a difference. Somehow, meeting Jeralt’s eyes, she felt confident he could be the one.

_ Noisy. _ Alois wouldn’t shut up and the kids were yammering at Byleth. Typical journeys for Jeralt and Byleth were in comfortable silence, a foreign concept for this group more than likely. He shifts the cloak on his shoulders uncomfortably as they march through the woods. Byleth, concerned over his strange behavior, insisted he stay warm lest he get sick(er). It was more heat than he was used to, and he was certain his undershirt was damp with sweat. Yet to appease his daughter, he supposed he didn’t mind it too much. After all, when did she actually worry? He would admit was acting out of the ordinary, but that’s what dying did to people.

Subtly, the merc leader would glance back occasionally at his daughter, not due to their conversation or worry, but because he would catch glimpses of an ethereal green being at times hovering over her. He couldn’t just ask Byleth about the child who clearly had the powers of a goddess (who very well could just be a figment of his imagination) so he settled for watching them.

Claude is the only one who has noticed Jeralt casting glances towards them. Well, there’s a good chance Edelgard has noticed too, but neither of them are saying anything about it. Initially, he thought perhaps the infamous man was simply being overprotective of his daughter, but at some point, the Alliance heir notices that he’s not actually looking at any of them. The mystery of father and daughter may have lit a fire in his curious soul. 

“There it is. Garreg Mach monastery.” Upon hearing Edelgard, Jeralt’s eyes scan the grand collection of buildings atop the hill. It towered, as majestic and menacing as ever.

A pit formed in his stomach knowing he was going to be dealing with Rhea again, Rhea and her unhealthy obsession with his child. Complicated emotions bubbled in his chest at the memories he had of Rhea. It’s not that he hated her, he owed Rhea his life... and there was a time where he thought the world of her. Now, he could never shake this uncomfortable feeling he had with her. 

At some point, he notices that it’s quieter, and Claude is trodding beside him instead of attempting to get on Byleth’s good side. The boy practically emanated curiosity making it difficult to ignore him. “What is it, von Regan?”

Perhaps too on beat, he replied, “I was wondering if you could give some advice on my bow skills. I am a pretty good shot, but I’m sure it’s nothing compared to the great Blade Breaker.” He chimed with a grin, though his eyes told Jeralt that that wasn’t the question he really wanted to ask. 

"Hmmph. You’re not bad, but don’t let it get to your head. You’re talking to the wrong guy.” Thrusting his thumb backwards, Jeralt continued, “Byleth is the better shot when it comes to bows.”

Claude responded by turning and strutting backwards, eyes on Byleth. “She must be something if you’re saying she’s better.” She briefly glanced up them hearing her name, but she didn’t break away from her conversation with the other two leaders. 

“She is.” The Golden Deer leader was slightly taken aback by the emotion in Jeralt’s voice and even more so by the way his eyes softened. He hummed debating on a quip before settling for silence. Serious conversation really wasn't what he was going for and raw emotion in Jeralt's voice indicated the conversation would swing that way. Whatever secrets the two had, he decided he could spend some time digging them up. That was half the fun after all. Besides, he could hear Edelgard chastising him for bothering the mercenary. 

"Hey, I'm just being friendly." He grinned. "And aren't you two the ones hassling our new friend here?" 

_ Well, it was quieter for a second. _Jeralt thought wryly as the bickering between the three resumed. 

Jeralt felt the initial droplets of rain and tried to recall if it had rained the last time he was here. The heavens opened and poured moments later causing the group to duck under trees or whatever other shelter was available. He didn't think it rained the last since because he definitely didn't recall getting stuck under a tree with Edelgard von Hresvelg. 

Byleth was stuck between the bickering of the prince and alliance heir with the remainder of the crew on the other side of the path. _ Figures. _He thought glancing at the small girl beside him. It wasn't a tight space but it wasn't spacious by any means. 

After a moment of slightly uncomfortable silence, he spoke. "I'm sorry." His apology startled her from her thoughts. "I'm sure you'd rather be over there with the rest of your classmates."

She smiled elegantly, "No need to apologize. It's not too often one gets stranded with the renowned Blade Breaker." 

Jeralt couldn't even recall talking to her in his last life. At least, not more than a couple words. He had heard rumors though. The brilliant and cunning Edelgard von Hresvelg, a force to be reckoned with and the future Emperor of the Adrestian Empire, someone who would pave the way to a new future. Of course, he never found out how true that was.

The rain picked up making it difficult to hear anything but heavy pitter patter against the dirt. Visibility was low, though he could still see the vibrant colors of the others; the temperature dropped a few notches. He noticed the ever so slight shivering of the girl beside him. She was doing rather well in hiding it, but his senses were keener. He shifted deftly undoing his cloak and wrapping it around Edelgard. She seemed surprised at first before smiling, "Thank you." A pause then, "You're very kind. I suppose your daughter must get it from somewhere. Hearing about your great exploits as a mercenary, I never imagined you as a kind individual. It must be true to never judge a book by its cover."

He frowned, "Hey now, I might not have the most attractive mug, but it certainly isn’t scary." _ I think. _ Granted, he knew it certainly wasn’t his looks that attracted his wife to him. 

Edelgard struggled to stifle a laugh. "Not at all, I'm sorry… I just… you're a rather curious man, Jeralt." She briefly wondered if the situation would be any different if it were Byleth beside her. Glancing at the small smile on Jeralt's face told her it would probably be similar.

The rain didn’t let up, resulting in silence again. He wondered briefly if the sun would come back before they reached the monastery. Last time, Rhea stood there in all her glory as if anticipating their arrival which she surely would be again this time. He realized that he had simply returned to helping the Church by completing missions which inevitably led to his demise. This time, he clearly couldn’t do that, at least, not if he wanted to live long enough to help Byleth. Not that he fully understood what the green gremlin (because he still didn’t have a name and she seemed like a cheeky brat) meant by that, _ Return and help her where I could not. _When he got to the monastery, he would need some time to sort out his thoughts. 

“Are you concerned about returning to the monastery?” Edelgard’s question almost went unnoticed, drowned out by the rain. 

Her eyes bore into his as though trying to read what was happening in his head. She was a sharp kid, he would give her that. “No, just got a lot on my mind.” Her brow raised as if expecting more. “Let’s just say that Rhea and I don’t really meet eye to eye.” 

“Oh, I see.” Her response is even, neutral.

“Judging by your reaction, I can see you don’t either.” He smirked when her expression shifted to surprise. “Don’t worry, I won’t tell. Though, I hardly think it matters since your friends don’t seem be devout followers either.”

“If the others could hear you, they might call you a heretic.”

Jeralt snorted, “I’ve been called worse.” The rain began to thin; the gusts of wind starting to die down.

“You would make a fine teacher.” 

The mercenary paused. “Is that so?”

“Well, you do have a rather keen eye. And you’re not one to be taken advantage of. I’m sure your mercenary skills would be invaluable as well.” He mulled over her words as she handed him his cloak back. The rain had become but a sprinkle, and the others were beginning to mobilize again.

“I think Byleth would be the better option,” He remarked. “But maybe that’s not such a bad idea this time.” 

“This time?” Her question was left unanswered as Jeralt walked away. She watched the back of the aged mercenary. For a second, he seemed much older, but then, maybe it was just her imagination. 

“Were you not cold, Edelgard?” Dimitri had bounded over to check in though he was befuddled by the sudden smile she flashes. 

“I think I managed just fine.”

Despite the gloomy clouds that remained overcast, Rhea was standing on her balcony, just as before. He froze momentarily, eyes meeting hers. Sunlight was just beginning to peek through the grey skies, but there was no warmth, especially in her cold stare. 

“Rhea,” He breathed resolving himself as he moved forward. 

He didn’t realize Byleth noticed him hesitate.

“You’ve been here before?” Curiosity piqued Byleth. Things were moving rather quickly, but her father didn’t seem phased. In fact, he seemed to stroll right along as though this were perfectly normal.

“I’ve never spoken of this to you before, but… many years ago, I was a knight here. I reported to the archbishop… Lady Rhea.” He was hesitant as if thinking over his words. He suddenly remembered just how sheltered Byleth had been (no fault of her own). “You’ll learn more about Rhea and the church pretty quickly here. Don’t worry too much about it.” Not to brush her off, but she would probably get more out of the conversation with someone familiar with the teachings of Seiros than he. Even after saving and being saved by Rhea, he had no particular interest in the church or religion. He had a duty to Rhea at the time, but now, well, honestly, he’d be fine if he never heard anything about Seiros again.

“Thank you for your patience, Jeralt.” The footsteps of individuals caught his attention as he spun to greet them. Rhea in her Archbishop glory gracefully waltzed in, Seteth close behind. His wary green eyes reminded him of a certain child though on that note, so did Rhea’s. “My name is Seteth. I am an advisor to the archbishop.”

Right, he was here last time though they hardly had any interaction past their first meeting. He seemed the stuffy type, someone Jeralt would not get along with. “Right. Hello.” 

“It has been a long time, Jeralt. I wonder… was it the will of the goddess that we have another chance meeting like this?” Despite greeting him, her eyes never really left Byleth. There was something strange about greeting someone who he once adored and now disliked. He wasn’t terrified of her, not anymore. 

“Perhaps,” He mused. If the goddess was a green gremlin anyway, then she was spot on. His remark, however, caused Seteth’s eyes to narrow. “This is my kid.” His arm reached around Byleth’s shoulders and pulled her close almost protectively. “Byleth.”

Rhea’s eyes stayed on Byleth giving her a once over. “I see… A fine name indeed. I heard of your valiant efforts from Alois.” She only gave a curt nod in response. Maybe it was because her father seemed on guard, but Byleth felt a bit uncomfortable. “From the bottom of my heart, I thank you for saving those students of the Officers Academy.” Finally, her gaze shifts to Jeralt though there is a slightly coldness that may or may not have been there when she was staring intently at Byleth. “You already know what it is I wish to say, do you not?”

“Actually, I wish to speak with you on that matter. I will not rejoin the Knights of Seiros.” If looks could kill, the iciness of Rhea’s gaze probably could have frozen hell over. There was enough tension in the air for Byleth to reach for sword though Jeralt’s grasp kept her from doing so. “I have a proposition for you. I heard your kids mention you could use another professor. Byleth will need work to do, so why don’t you hire her? She’s more than capable.” 

“I see… I do believe she will be more than capable,” She ignored Seteth’s protests in the background. “But what does this have to do you with not joining the Knights of Seiros?”

“I’m not saying I won’t help out. If there’s something where you really need my assistance, I’ll do it, but I’ll help Byleth. A teaching assistant of sorts, I’ll help with the seminars too.” He knows he’s winning her over when her eyes begin to soften contemplating his words. He also knows his hunch was right; she didn’t care so much about him joining the knights as she did keeping the two of them in the monastery. “Look, as capable as my daughter is, I can tell your advisor over there doesn’t trust her. She is young and having someone with a little more experience may help.”

Her lips thinned in a small line before sighing, “I am not opposed to this arrangement. If your daughter agrees, then I suppose I have no complaints.” 

“Wait, Lady Rhea…” 

“Seteth, please, we can discuss your concerns privately.” 

Byleth glanced up at her father before looking at Rhea and nodding. Things were moving fast, almost too fast, but the reassuring squeeze from her father told her things would be fine. 

It’s once Rhea and Seteth are out of sight and earshot that Jeralt breathes a sigh of relief and releases Byleth. “I’m sorry I dragged you into this, kid.”

“I must… teach here?” 

“Rhea wasn’t going to let us go. This was a better deal. I promise you.” Byleth recalled those cold eyes as she nodded. “I mean, I’ll be there to support you. You have nothing to worry about.” She seemed relieved at his words and nodded. “The other professors will be here to talk to you soon… I need to attend to some things in my office. Good luck.” He pressed a firm hand on her shoulder. “Stay on your guard.” Jeralt paused. “We can catch dinner together later if you have time.” 

Surprised but pleased with the idea, she agreed with a nod. Her eyes followed his back as he headed down the hallway then disappeared into a room on the left. Just as he had said though, Professors Manuela and Hanneman appeared shortly thereafter to speak with her. She briefly wondered how he knew.

Despite calling it his office, Jeralt was aware it wasn’t really his office right now. It was the office of the captain of the knights who he recalled was getting on in years. That being said, nobody was really going to kick him out of the office either. He was like a minor celebrity after all (something he would never admit).

_ Now where did I put that… _He rummaged his bag locating a worn leather bound book. It clearly had seen better days. He couldn’t recall the last time he wrote it in. Sometime when Byleth was small. He flipped through the pages mindlessly as he pondered his next move.

He would die thanks to that student they found when Seteth’s sister went missing. There were also moving pieces such as the Flame Emperor and the Death Knight. He helped in the investigations by the church, but he felt he was missing too many key pieces. Why was he brought back? Byleth apparently needed him, but when and why? Did Byleth end up dying too? The thought maddened him. For him, time ended when he died. He had no other pieces to the puzzle.

_ Damn gremlin didn’t really give me an idea on what to do. _He huffed folding his arms. Perhaps he was thinking too hard, she said to help Byleth right? 

He flipped to the next blank spot in his journal jotting down his daughter’s name then circling it. He would need to observe and help her while also trying to get a jump on the Flame Emperor and Death Knight. There were probably other pieces in play as well. Grumbling, with a minor headache, he mindlessly doodled a scribble of the gremlin on the same page. Well, she was connected somehow after all.

“Are you drawing…?”

Jeralt jumped startled by his daughter’s sudden presence. She had always been really good at sneaking about. Scrambling to shut his diary, he smiled nervously. “Hey kid, what are you doing here? It’s not dinner time yet.”

She tilted her head, “Waiting,”

“Waiting…?” He blinked. “Oh, Lady Rhea probably wants to see you again.” Standing he scratched his chin, “Do you… want to do something else while you wait?” Her eyes followed him as he subtly dropped his diary into a drawer. “Let’s… go see your mother. She’s buried here.” 

Deciding not to push it, she nodded. This was the first time she’d heard of her mother after all… and despite what she thought, there’s no way that little scribble was Sothis.

_ Of course not, how could that horrible scribble be of me! _

_ There was a little resemblance. _ She thought wryly following behind her father.

_ How rude! _

A ghost of a smile formed on her lips.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I didn't really like how I ended the first chapter. I may go back and change it... eventually.  
Thank you for your support! I wasn't anticipating much but it makes me happy there are other Jeralt fans out there. He needs a little more love.  
I dislike that there isn't indents in the text, makes it hard to read...


	3. Not as Planned

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I rewrote this chapter as of 10/10/19 (published 10/8/19). Some of my lovely reviews reminded me of something flawed about the idea of Jeralt not knowing about his crest which I had forgotten. I also rushed the chapter so it wasn't great quality. I've rewritten it with a slightly different ending. Thank you all!

Dimly lit candles shed barely enough light to read (honestly, the library needed a few windows). The scent of melting wax and old books permeated the room. Wood boards creaked beneath Jeralt’s feet as he wandered towards the corner bookshelf. He relished the quiet of the library and the lack of crowd. The news of him teaching seemed to have spread too quickly. Almost every student interested in combat requested a sparring match or pointers. Actually, he was rather grateful to Leonie who shooed them off for harassing the former Knight Captain; he had taken that opportunity to escape to the upper floor of the monastery to do a little research.

He had just begun perusing the faded books on the old shelves when footsteps approached from behind. “Captain Jeralt? My, my, what a rare sight.” Instinctively, he reached for his weapon. The chill that ran down his spine caused phantom pains in his lower back. Solon’s twisted face, the poor citizens of Remire Village… “Is something wrong?” 

He shook his head snapping out of thoughts. The wizened librarian leaned on his cane expectantly. Jeralt swallowed dropping his hand to his side, “Tomas, it’s been a while.” 

“Indeed, about 20 years?” He smiled in a way that made the merc’s lower back ache. “Can I help you with something? It’s a rare sight to see you in the library, even back then you never set foot in here.”

The fact that he was correct made it difficult to discern if this person Tomas or Solon. He wasn’t quite sure if he had actually met Tomas, but he had a hunch that this person was probably Solon as the likelihood of him appearing later didn’t make sense. “Right, I’m just… looking.” 

The elderly man seemed to contemplate this answer. Despite the fact his brows raised with question and maybe suspicion, he nodded and spoke, “Well, feel free to look around. Should you need anything, I’ll be here.” 

As the man wandered away, Jeralt’s fingers twitched. It would be easy to take his sword and strike the old man down. However, the witnesses in the library might have something to say about that. Well, it’s not like he had definitive proof at this time. Though, he knew he would need to move fast to take Solon down. 

In vain effort, he returned to his book flipping through the pages in an attempt to find anything useful. Currently, his summarized goals were to 1. Stay alive, 2. Deal with Solon and Monica, and 3. Uncover Rhea’s secret. In doing so, he hoped that he could stop the Death Knight, discover the identity of the Flame Emperor, save Remire Village, and deal with whatever the bigger problem was. Things were already in motion which made him slightly anxious.

His eyes flitted between pages and at some point, he took a seat at one of the tables in the library with a small pile of books. Most of it was just standard Crest and Relic lore, but it felt rather lacking. He recalled that the books were heavily monitored and wondered what exactly the church had hidden. In his knight days, he had accompanied clerics in removing books from other church establishments. At that time, he didn’t question Rhea. He probably should have. 

“Mind if I sit here?” Despite the dimness of the room, Claude’s eyes were just as vibrant and curious as ever. The Golden Deer Leader had already pulled the wooden chair away from the table even before Jeralt had nodded. The mercenary realized that he had probably been here a good while as nobody else seemed to be present and daylight could no longer be seen in the hallways. “I wouldn’t have pegged you as the religious type, but then, you were Captain of the Knights of Seiros.”

Most of the books he had collected were on the history of the church, though a handful were about Crests and Relics. “Looks can be deceiving.” He hummed letting Claude interpret that answer however he liked. He gestured to Claude’s book, “Seems like you’re studying up on the church as well.”

“What can I say? I’m a learned guy.” The young man leaned back arms folded behind his head. “I hear you’re gonna help teach our class.”

“Byleth will be doing most of the work.” 

“Is that so? Well, Leonie’s been over the moon since she heard you’ll be helping out. Lysithea got so sick of her excited ranting at dinner, there was almost a food fight.” 

“And you had absolutely no hand in that,” Jeralt smirked as Claude feigned innocence.

“What? You hurt me, I did say  _ almost. _ ” The conversation paused as the younger man turned to a certain page in his book. The merc also returned to his book for a moment glancing briefly at pages about relics which eventually led into the topic Sword of the Creator. “You know, for such a renowned mercenary and former Captain of the Knights, I’m surprised you don’t have a Heroes Relic. Though I suppose, you need a Crest for that.”

“Look, I don’t know where these rumors are coming from, but I’m not  _ that _ great.” Honestly, the fame and awe made his head ache. “I know how to kill a person. It’s not really something that commendable.” 

Claude smirked and commented, “You know, I think Teach might have said something similar about you not being  _ that _ amazing.” 

“She’s not wrong.”

“Oh come on, you should be proud.” He chided, “Not too many folks can say they have a title like the ‘Blade Breaker.’” 

He was a good talker and rather intelligent. Jeralt could see why Byleth would grow fond of him in time. “When you fight for a long time, it’s only natural you’d be good at it. Again, killing people isn’t that great of an accomplishment.” He stood and began to return his books back to the shelves. He had been here long enough.

“How long is a long time?”

“I haven’t kept track.”  _ Too long. _

“Jeez, you and Teach are the same. ‘I don’t know’ will only get you so far.” Claude was well aware that Jeralt had pretty much dodged all of his questions. He wasn’t quite sure which one was more mysterious. Currently, the scales were tipping in Jeralt’s favor. 

“Look, kid, when you’re old and wrinkled like me, let me know how good your memory is.” His arms empty of books, he turned to leave. “Well, old people like me should be in bed earlier. So I’ll leave you to it.” He moved towards the door before pausing, “Oh and Claude.” Jeralt flashed a knowing grin, “You should wait until more people are asleep before sneaking into the library.”

Claude folded his arms behind his head as the merc disappeared around the corner, “Guess I got found out.”

Byleth had long shut the door to her room, pen and paper in hand as she jotted down notes for the first week of class. Seteth had given her a relative plan of what was expected to be taught. It was a matter of her formulating it in a way she could convey and the students would understand. She also had freedom to decide on specific topics though the advisor repeatedly drilled into her head that she had to be appropriate. While she doubted that he actually believed she would teach something inappropriate, she had no doubt that her students could and would manipulate a lesson to learn something else. The Golden Deer were a crafty bunch after all.

At some point, her eyes grew weary of reading in the candlelight. Stretching and not yet feeling drowsy, she decided to go for a brief stroll. Sothis had fallen asleep and didn’t stir even as Byleth stepped outside. The monastery glowed in the soft moonlight. Very few people appeared to be out and about. Most students went to bed or at least returned to their dorm at the recommended curfew; however, it wasn’t really adhered to strictly. She had seen Claude and a few others slinking about. 

Light reflected from the doors of only one or two rooms as she headed towards the greenhouse. Something about strolling Garreg Mach under the moon created a sense of peace and relief. Truthfully, the past few days had been rather stressful with the sudden changes and decisions. It wasn’t easy getting to know all the faces and names here. 

In the silence of the night, a splash from the fishing pond caught her attention. Rod in hand, Jeralt sat perched at the end of the dock. There was something picturesque about the way her father’s back illuminated in the moonlight. As the wooden dock creaked under her feet, he turned his head. “Hey kid, can’t sleep?”

She shook her head. He shifted slightly allowing her to sit beside him. “You?”

“Yeah, something like that.” He muttered eyes returning to his bobber. “How’s the lesson planning going?”

“I’m almost done.” Some tweaking needed to be done, but for the most part, the next couple of weeks were set with lessons and ideas. Without knowing her class well and with the unpredictability of each day, Byleth left the plans as flexible as possible. “Your plans?”

He shrugged, “I’ll wing it. You’ll be doing most of the work during the week anyway.”

She nodded. 

They sat in silence for a while. The normally active fish seemed to be asleep as Jeralt had reeled in a couple times to no avail, not that he seemed to mind. Byleth noted that he seemed lost in thought. Having felt she had sat still for too long, she removed her boots before dipping her toes into the pond. 

“Hey now, you’ll scare the fish…”

“What fish?”

Jeralt paused. “Well… you’re not wrong.” He reeled his line in before setting the pole down beside. Leaning back on his hands, he glanced at his daughter. “Say, did you have any questions on your mom?”

Their conversation by the grave had been cut short when Leonie and Alois had butted in. He had managed to tell her a bit about his wife. 

Byleth mulled it over silently before shaking her head. Though somewhere in her heart she knew she loved the mother she never met, she also recognized she would never really be able to connect with her. There was also the fact that there was always a little bit of pain in Jeralt’s eyes when he started speaking about her mother.

“I suppose since you never met her it’s hard to come up with a question. You know, we used to sit here together, just like this.” He smiled fondly at the memory. “Sometimes, she would talk my ears off, and other times we’d sit here quietly. She’d throw flower petals in pond and scare away the fish.”

Byleth hummed staring in the water. She tried to envision the woman who used to sit here. Her hair was probably the same color. She probably smiled a lot. Silence fell between the two again. It was never awkward but rather, comforting. The peace was beginning to make her drowsy.

“Byleth,” His voice snapped her awake again. “There are still things I need to tell you. Some things, good and bad, are going to happen here, but no matter what happens, I’ll be there for you.” She nodded though slightly confused. He was again saying strange things. “Keep your guard up. I want to tell you more but not here. There eyes and ears everywhere. Later this month, let’s go for a ride like we used to.”

Though this piqued her interest, she yawned as she nodded. Her brain clearly was clearly not functioning at optimal speed. He smiled ruffling her hair. “Come on, it’s getting late. We should get some sleep.”

He tucked his fishing gear away in his bag and then escorted Byleth to her room. Upon reaching her dorm, awkwardly and one handedly, he hugged her. He knew he hadn’t held her enough before he had died. She stiffened with surprise, but eventually she returned the hug. Pulling away, he smiled, “Goodnight, kid.”

“Goodnight, dad.” It was a shame he had turned and missed her matching smile.

  
  


Warm rays of sunlight beamed on the battlefield the day for the mock battle. In all actuality, Jeralt had forgotten about the mock battle… until he had both Seteth and Byleth knocking at his door to see if he was prepared to leave. He knew he had been told, but he supposed his head had been in the clouds for the past few days. Fortunately, mercenary days of moving suddenly at a moment’s notice made it possible for him to get his things together and catch up without anyone really noticing he was late.

Since he had agreed to oversee the match, Jeralt wasn’t allowed to interfere with the match (again). Well, he figured Rhea was still testing Byleth. In fact, her heavy gaze was on his daughter again. He had to shake the uneasiness that formed in his stomach. 

Anticipation and eagerness radiated from the students as they marched towards the battlefield. It was probably due to this that the knights didn’t notice the one student fidgeting oddly; Jeralt did. She moved with a herd of several other students under the banner of the Blue Lions so her movements were not obvious. Had he not been in the back, Jeralt’s not sure he would have noticed either. 

The odd movements resembled slight twitches, but there was something sinister about her aura. He wasn’t sure if he could call it an aura, but he could swear he’d see something dark about her that would flicker in and out. He couldn’t recall any incidents the last time they were here, but nonetheless, the knot in his stomach was back.

Somewhere in between other knights bothering him and the students dispersing to their side of the field, he lost track of the girl. The three houses situated themselves onto the field planting their house flags to indicate they were ready to go. Rhea and her clergy had settled on the sidelines waiting for Jeralt to officiate the match. The pit in his stomach grew with every waiting moment. He knew something was wrong, and it wasn’t just the phantom pain in his back. 

Despite this, with all eyes on him, he had to officiate the match. “I’m sure you already understand, but the house that defeats the other two is declared the winner.” Magic projected his voice across the field. “I will be overseeing this mock battle. You may begin!”

Cheers erupted as each army maneuvered towards each other. He winced at the burning in his lower back; it just seemed to pulse with every moment that passed. Unable to simply stay and do nothing, he grabbed Alois who was situated beside him. “Captain?”

“I need you to officiate for a moment. I’ll be back.” He abruptly ran off ignoring the questioning shouts behind him. His eyes scoured for the girl he had seen earlier. Unfortunately, other than the fact she had pigtails, he didn’t have much to go off on. He’d have to trust he’d recognize her bizarre movements. 

Certain she hadn’t hidden herself in the crowd of clerics and knights, something told him she had to be out on the battlefield. He took off running towards the Blue Lions. He realized he probably should have grabbed his horse and lance, but at this point, it was too late to turn back. He prayed he didn’t need his weapon.

He realized he probably looked like a madman the way he had dashed off. He could hear the thumping of his heart as he ran with everything he had. Careful to avoid the fighting, Jeralt took the path around and through the trees. Every pulse of pain urged him to move faster. He stopped pausing against a tree to breathe as he scanned the area. Students from all banners were engaged in combat. The House Leaders had yet to move into the action though their professors already had. He couldn’t see Byleth, but he did find his target.

Positioned back a ways, her trembling form held an axe. Blue ribbons kept the mess of her hair together. Her blue eyes seemed dilated, crazed. The battlefield distracted the others from noticing her creeping up behind Prince Dimitri Inhaling sharply. Jeralt made a mad dash forward. Her manic expression and clear target were enough for the former Knight Captain to know something bad was about to happen.

“Get out of the way! Stop!” His shouts caused the prince to turn right as the crazed girl lunged forward.

Drops of red sprayed on Dimitri’s face as he fell wide eyed.

  
  


_ There is an ominous darkness here… it is… chilling. Something is wrong. _ Sothis’ words of warning when they had departed kept Byleth on guard. From her position, she couldn’t locate the source of danger, and with her duties as the Professor of the Golden Deer, she didn’t really have a lot of time to search.

What that meant though was that she was on high alert on the battlefield. She noticed Jeralt almost immediately. Seeing her dad run meant something was horribly wrong so she moved with him. “H-Hey Teach?!” She ignored Claude’s voice behind her. They would be fine for the moment.

By the time she caught up to him, he had broken into a mad dash again.  _ There! That darkness…  _ Her eyes followed where Sothis had indicated. Indeed, she could see a swirl of black, like a miasma, that seemed to crackle around a girl poised to attack Dimitri. She outstretched her arm ready to cast Divine Pulse. She could rewind and get her bow ready to launch an arrow. Time seemed to crackle.

Perhaps it was an amateur move. He had let impulse get the best of him. Blood oozed to the ground where Jeralt stood. The girl’s body lay on the ground, unconscious. Dimitri’s expression hadn’t changed from shock.

“Hey kid, you alright?” 

Dimitri’s mouth opened and closed several times, “Y-Your arm…” He stuttered attempting to regain his composure. Flashbacks of blood and murder, attempted assasination, he shook his head. He was the prince, he needed to snap out of it. 

“I’ll be fine.” Jeralt breathed eyeing the limb on the ground, the blood oozing from his right side where it once was. He had managed to push Dimitri, but in his attempt to knock the axe away, he lost his arm. He hadn’t missed, he knew he didn’t. 

In that moment, the darkness around her became visible and her very existence flickered. He had grabbed the axe, felt the solid wood beneath his fingers, but in the same instance, it wasn’t there, blinking almost out of existence before he felt the pain of the blade penetrating his arm. Despite the anomaly, he grabbed her with his arm, pulling her forward and slamming his hand into her neck. She hadn’t moved from the ground though when she initially landed, she seemed to fade in and out. The blackness dulled considerably. 

“Professor!” 

Shouts from nearby alerted Jeralt though he could hardly think straight. He could see Claude holding an unconscious Byleth in his arms. The leader was shouting for healing mages. Instinctively stepping forward, Jeralt suddenly lurched to the ground. He had lost a lot of blood. 

_ Shit. Byleth.  _ His vision blurred as he attempted to sit up. 

For a second, he could see the ethereal green of Sothis (the gremlin) around Byleth. Their eyes met, and he realized Byleth would be fine. With that peace of mind, he let the world go to nothingness.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Do you think Jeralt can save everyone? Do you think he should?  
Personally, I didn’t recruit all the kids in my playthroughs because it didn’t feel realistic. It made playing feel a little more real and sadder (maybe I’m just a sadist lol).


	4. Antics at the Monastery

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I rewrote the previous chapter on 10/10/19. I rewrote it simply because I did not like the direction it was going and thanks to lovely reviewers reminding me of the lore of the story (which I appreciate!).

When Jeralt came to, he kept his eyes shut and feigned sleep. Aware of the noise around him, he opted to listen in as he gathered his bearings. 

He identified Manuela’s voice immediately. “I understand your concern, but I’m afraid there’s not a lot more that I can do.”

“You said some weird magic affected both of them, right? But Teach is the one with magic exhaustion even though she can’t use magic.” The concern in Claude’s voice sounded genuine. It also confirmed that Byleth must still be in the infirmary.

Edelgard was present as well. “The magic affecting them was dark and strange. What magic prevents healing?” 

“It wasn’t prevented completely. I mean they’re both alive.” Claude interjected. “Granted, Jeralt isn’t exactly one piece.” Ah, that explained why he couldn’t feel the fingers on his right hand.

Dimitri’s voice sounded sullen, “He was protecting me… so if there is anything I could do…”

“Ok, that’s enough moping around here. We don’t need any of that here.” Manuela chirped. The sound of their voices and footsteps seemed to get further away. “Let them rest. That’s the best we can do.”

When the door clicked shut, Jeralt opened his eyes. He felt a little guilty deceiving them, but he didn’t need them fussing over him quite yet. The infirmary held a medicinal and herbal scent to it. Sitting up in the bed, his eyes wandered to where his arm would be. Bandages wrapped the nub of his arm above where his elbow had been. 

Damn, that was irritating. He grit his teeth.  _ Little girls are apparently my worst enemies.  _ Before he could dwell on it, his eyes landed on Byleth who slept in the bed beside his. She appeared to sleep soundly and calmly; however, the thing that really caught his attention was the gremlin floating above Byleth staring at her. 

“You are rather naughty to pretend to sleep.” She spoke before he could say anything. She turned her head to face him only slightly adjusting her position. “Though, they were making quite the racket.”

“Is she alright?” 

“Tsk, how rude. Who do you think I am?” She huffed puffing out her cheeks. “Well, no matter, she is fine, in a deep sleep. Her body is recovering.”

His shoulders relaxed. “What happened?”

“You are being rather calm.” 

Raising a brow, he answered, “You brought me to life.”

“Oh, so you do remember. Here I was beginning to think you forgot.” Sothis sat (floated) upright directing her attention to Jeralt. “As for her, I’m afraid I do not know. I...”

“What do you mean you don’t know?”

“Do not cut me off. Uggh, you are both so rude.” She pouted and crossed her arms. “She tried to save you and the child. However, the Divine Pulse failed. Whenever we tried to turn the hands of time, that girl’s actions would change. You are fortunate the only outcome was the loss of your arm.”

“The last time you rewound time, I was able to see it happen. I didn’t see it this time.” 

“Since you were brought back with my magic, you are able to see the effects of the Divine Pulse whenever Byleth utilizes it. However, that girl, she who tried to kill the prince, she was possessed by a strange magic… or perhaps it is more accurate to say she was made of strange magic.” Sothis tilted her head in thought. “The Divine Pulse was corrupted by her magic, thus not allowing you to see and causing this awful mess.” She sighed and shook her head. “I suppose I cannot fully blame her though. In truth, I believe I am partly to blame. By returning here, I have gone against the hands of fate and as such, I believe that the Divine Pulse has become more difficult to use. Byleth does not have the strength she did from whence I came. The strain was too much.”

“But she’s fine?”

“Yes, I have put her in a deep slumber. There is nothing to fear, however, she cannot be so reckless with changing time in the future.”

Jeralt glanced at his daughter. “Does she know?”

“No, I cannot tell her everything. I believe that my role in doing such things may harm her or corrupt time even more… Despite what I may be, there is much I do not know.” 

“Corrupt time?” 

“From what I could see, the girl who removed your arm, she was but a memory of the future, a corrupted persona. A feeling so strong that it traversed time to complete its goal... I do not believe that it is solely my doing that time has become corrupt. There is something much darker happening.”

“Tell me something I don’t know.” He slid his legs over the side of the bed. He stood and moved to Byleth’s side, Sothis shifting slightly so they wouldn’t touch. “Sorry, kid, looks like I got you involved in a lot of trouble.” His one hand brushed strands of hair from her face. “There’s a chance another corrupted memory will appear.”

“So what will you do?”

“I’m going to train those brats, so they don’t die so often. The less Byleth uses the Divine Pulse, the better.” He sat down hand sliding over Byleth’s slightly cold hand. “I’m also going to deal with Solon, but something tells me I’m going to need another hand, no pun intended. Can I trust you to watch over her?”

“Of course, have you forgotten who I am?”

“A green gremlin with goddess like abilities?”

“Excuse me?! What did you call me?” Jeralt smirked as the child like being screeched at him. “Wipe that grin off your face! Oh, you!”

In the following days, Byleth finally awoke. With all the hubbub and people fawning over her, Jeralt had seen her once which seemed to ease her worries. He hoped they would have the opportunity to speak eventually and trusted that the gremlin (he still didn’t get a name he realized later) would fill in the gaps. As soon as Manuela gave her the all clear, she and Jeralt were called to speak with Rhea and Seteth.

The stony audience chamber felt as grand as usual. Reporting to Rhea like this felt nostalgic with how often he did it as a knight. This time Rhea and Seteth awaited their arrivals. 

“It makes me glad to see you two doing well.” Rhea offered a kind smile. “We are grateful that you have once again kept our students safe. I am sorry that you were wounded so grievously, Jeralt.” 

“Eh, I’ve had worse.”  _ Like dying.  _ His response caused Seteth to raise a brow but Rhea remained neutral.

“We attempted to apprehend the culprit; however, when the knights reached her, she had simply vanished.” 

_ Faded away to be correct.  _ Sothis’ voice rang in both of their minds.  _ When you defeated the memory, it disappeared.  _

Unaware of the disruption, Seteth continued, “We do have some knights searching for her, but we believe that she is using magic to elude us. We will do the best we can to apprehend her. It appeared that she was after Prince Dimitri’s life. Unfortunately, he has a fair share of enemies.” 

“In the meantime, your duties here have not changed.” Rhea continued. “Please tend to the students to the best of your ability. They are a bit shaken after the events of the mock battle. Seeing you resume normalcy will help settle them.” Her gaze moved to Jeralt. “I do not believe that your injury will prevent you from teaching. Perhaps it was the will of the goddess that you did not join the Knights after all.” 

_ Something like that.  _ He hid his smile with a cough. “Of course.”

“I believe that is all; however, Professor, I would like to speak with you a moment.” Byleth caught Jeralt’s wary eye. She remembered his warning and nodded. 

“Then, I’ll take my leave.” The former mercenary bowed then briskly left the room. He hadn’t had a chance to really talk to Rhea, but maybe that was for the best. Secrets could be uncovered with time, hopefully hers had nothing to do with all the trouble brewing… though he somehow doubted it.

Jeralt couldn’t have related any more with the phrase “you don’t know what you have until it’s gone”. The past few days he had managed with a simple shirt and trousers, but now, staring at his usual getup, he couldn’t quite figure out how he was going to pull it off. Slipping into his undershirt, tunic, and trousers wasn’t too bad, albeit much longer than he would have liked. He fiddled with shoulderguards before losing his grip. The metal clanged loudly against the wooden board as it clattered on the ground. He sighed; the idea of being armorless didn’t appeal to him, but…  _ It might be impossible. _

“Dad?” Glancing up, Byleth had opened the door slightly and peeked her head in. Upon analyzing the situation, she stepped in shutting the door behind her. 

He realized he probably looked silly standing in the middle of his room with his armor scattered around him and clothing slightly askew. He couldn’t help but laugh nervously. “Hey, kid, this is a little embarrassing.”

“Need help?” 

“No, it’s fine. I’ll just have to skip the armor.” Though, he felt a bit bare at the prospect.

Without wasting any time, Byleth picked up one of the shoulderguards wordlessly then positioned it on his shoulder. Taking the straps, she tied them on ensuring they were sturdy. “Good?”

Adjust his shoulder a bit, he nodded. “Thanks… you don’t have to…” She gave him a look that said she was helping and he’d have to deal with it. He shut his mouth.

Though again, it took longer than he would have liked, Byleth helped put the remainder of his armor in place. “You should ask the blacksmith to make you new armor.”

“Guess I can’t wear this anymore, huh.” He smiled, “Thanks for helping me. I’ll head to town later.” 

Byleth’s eyes wandered to his empty sleeve. Reaching out, she started to fold it up. After a moment of silence, she spoke softly. “I’m sorry…” 

“Hm?” He tilted his head questioningly.

“I’m sorry I couldn’t save your arm.”

His eyes furrowed as he frowned, “Hey, it’s not your fault. I’m still here. So enough of that,” He grabbed her hand with a comforting smile. “Besides, you still can’t beat me.”

Not quite convinced, she countered, “You can’t wield a lance.” 

“I can still swing a sword better than you.” His smirk might have caused a ghost of a smile to appear on his lips. “Trust me, you’re still too young to think you can beat me even with a handicap.” Ruffling her hair, he stood. “Now, no more moping around, we have some brats to teach.”

With the entirety of the Golden Deer in the training hall, the space forced the students to stand almost shoulder to shoulder. Byleth had finished up her section on the tactical/technical aspects of battle, and now the students were awaiting instruction from Jeralt. 

He stood before the students a wooden sword in hand. Despite their efforts at normalcy, Jeralt found that people were starting to look down at him as though he had suddenly lost the ability to fight. This training exercise may or may not have had something to do with that. “Ok, kiddos, this exercise is pretty easy. You just need to get from there,” He pointed towards where they were then behind him to where Byleth stood. “To there. You’ll go one by one and your goal is to get past me. You have three minutes. You can do whatever you need to to get by me, and everyone who does gets to skip drills today.” A murmur spread through the group. Drills struck fear in the knights and students alike. The first day of drills, Ignatz and Lorenz fainted, and the rest were barely conscious. “Any questions?”

“Can we use weapons?” Leonie questioned her voice brimming with excitement.

Jeralt nodded, “Sure, remember, your goal is to get past me no matter what. Anything else?”

When no one spoke up, he continued, “Byleth will keep track of time. Who would like to go first?”

Leonie’s hand shot up eagerly to no one’s surprise. “Whoo hoo!” Cheering, she dashed to grab a training lance from the weapon rack. The remainder of the students created space as best they could. “I’ll do my best, Captain Jeralt!” 

As she positioned herself in front of the man, he readied his sword, “I wouldn’t expect any less, Leonie.” 

She charged first as Byleth called the start of the match. Jeralt dodged her stabs parrying a couple of them with his sword. They danced around the field a bit with mostly Leonie on the attack. He had realized this earlier, but his center of gravity had shifted. Not that Jeralt would let any of them know, but this was a good exercise for him too. He returned a few attacks pushing Leonie back. He could see a few of his swings go further than he wanted, something he’s sure that only Byleth and Claude noticed. 

Leonie’s strikes were fierce and feral, but not enough to push Jeralt away. Slamming his sword down, he knocked the lance out of her hands just as Byleth called time. “That was good work, Leonie, but the point of this exercise was to get by me, not fight me.” 

She laughed nervously rubbing her head, “Woops, you’re right. Sorry, I just got so into it.”

“You’ve been improving, but you still need to work on your precision. A strong attack is only good if it hits.” 

“Yes, sir!” She beamed with pride nonetheless. He had to admit, she was a good pupil. She took his advice to heart and improved each time. He was certain she would get stronger and surpass him in no time.

His eyes turned to the rest of the Golden Deer. “Next?”

The next couple of tries were well-executed, just not quite good enough. Ignatz, taking advantage of his short stature and speed, attempted to maneuver past Jeralt only to be caught and thrown backward. He gave in shortly afterwards stating that he probably should work on drills anyway. Raphael attempted to box his way around the merc even attempting to grapple and move him. Jeralt returned the favor by managing to flip the muscular student. It was probably at this moment that the students began to fully understand that Jeralt missing an arm wasn’t going to help their case at all.

When Lysithea came onto the field, she donned a sword. Jeralt recalled she was just beginning to learn the basics under Byleth. The small white haired girl readied herself with determination in her eyes. 

“Begin!”

Magic emitted from her fingertips as she outstretched her hand. The mercenary shielded himself as the young girl rapidly fired magical energy towards the dirt creating clouds of dust. Despite the lack of visibility, he could still make out vague shadows and the various sounds around him. Closing his eyes, his ears picked up the clatter of something to his left and some poorly hidden footsteps to his right.  _ Clever for a kid with no real combat experience. _ Calculating her movements, he stuck his foot out sending Lysithea hurtling to the ground.

“Oof!” She winced as she faceplanted into the ground. 

“I’m impressed. A less experienced enemy else might have been caught off guard.” He glanced at the training sword lying on the other side. “Making it difficult to see and creating a distraction, that’s good thinking.”

“But it just wasn’t good enough.” Lysithea frowned picking herself off the ground. The former Knight Captain offered her a hand which she accepted. 

She brushed herself off while he commented, “It’s important to know your opponent, and you should never look down on them. Always be on guard.” Jeralt could see the look of dejection on her face. “Do you want to try again? You still have time.”

“No, I do not believe I will succeed.” She smiled confidently, “But next time, I will think of a better plan.”

“I look forward to it.”

Marianne opted to skip stating she couldn’t possibly complete the task. Despite encouragement from the others, she refused to try. Jeralt and Byleth had taken note of lack of confidence. It would be a long-term project and something to brainstorm on later. Lorenz attempted a poor copy of Lysithea’s tactics resulting in failure. While unoriginal, Jeralt didn’t tell him off for copying as sometimes learning from other people created the best results. He did state that Lorenz was better off running by since his sneaking was louder than Alois’ snoring thus earning a slightly embarrassed blush from the boy.

“There’s only two of you left.” Jeralt called eyeing Claude and Hilda. 

The Golden Deer Leader smiled bowing dramatically with an arm outstretched, “Ladies first, Hilda.”

“Oh Claude, you’re so sweet, but that’s okay, you can go.”

“No, no, no, by all means, after you, my lady,” Hilda sighed shaking her head. Claude tone indicated that he wasn’t going to budge so there really wasn’t any way around it. Besides, there really wasn’t an advantage to going last anyway not with Jeralt looking completely energized.

Stepping onto the field, she stood before the captain who posed ready, just as he did with the rest of the students. 

“Oh Captain Jeralt, would you be a dear and let me pass? You see, I worked so hard in class, so I’m not feeling the greatest.” She sang with a cheery smile. “I think I have a headache.”

To everyone’s surprise, Jeralt responded with a simple, “Sure.”

The pink haired student clasped her hands together enthusiastically,“Wait, really? You’ll let me pass? Without getting all sweaty and gross?”

“You’re the first one to ask.” He smirked as he saw a few of the other students guffaw and protest. “Hey, I said to get past me. I never said you had to fight.”

Hilda giggled as she practically pranced past him, “Ooh, thanks Captain Jeralt! I think you’re my favorite instructor now.” 

“You don’t always have to fight to get past the enemy.” Jeralt explained. “Though Hilda’s tactic may not necessarily work on the battlefield, it’s good to keep your mind open.” He was aware that she liked to skip out on her duties/tasks, but he also knew she could be quite capable. In terms of who could get past him soon enough via combat, he put Hilda towards the top. She knew how to run away and while that wasn’t necessarily commendable, it was still a good skill to have. Not every battle had to be fought. 

Knowing he was the only one left, the Golden Deer Leader stepped onto the field with a cocky grin, his arms behind his head. “I don’t suppose if I ask nicely, you’ll let me pass.”

“That was a one time deal, besides, I know you can do better.” 

Claude chuckled, “And here I was hoping going last would give me the advantage, but you haven’t even broken a sweat.” 

“You kiddos have a long ways to go.”  _ To stay alive that is…  _ “Alright Mr. Regan, show me what you got.”

“Well, allow me to surprise you.” He didn’t grab any weapons instead running straight at Jeralt. He managed to dodge a few swings before backing off. He repeated this process a few times causing Jeralt to wonder what the boy was scheming. Charging again, this time he threw something from his pocket into the air but continued towards the armed man. This time, Jeralt landed a hit sending Claude flying backwards slightly. By the time the older man realized what the boy had done, it was too late. 

A small vial had shattered on the ground where it had landed. A strange miasmic liquid oozed onto the ground emitting a horrid, sulfuric smell. It took seconds for the scent to intensify causing everyone to gag. Jeralt coughed covering his mouth while Claude had already thrown on a bandana around his face (not that it was doing much). Several students immediately started to evacuate the area. The Golden Deer Leader dashed by the merc while he recovered from the horrible sensation.

Not that it particularly mattered as one of the Knights standing guard called for the evacuation of the room. Jeralt and Byleth helped in corralling the students out of the room. Outside, despite taking a deep breath of clean air, the scent clung to their clothes though not as horrifically. 

“Claude!” Byleth had already grabbed the Golden Deer boy, who had attempted sneaking away, by the ear dragging him back to Jeralt. 

“Ow, ow, ow, Teach! Easy!” He cried out willingly coming along with her. “I might have gotten the dosage wrong, but it’s not lethal!” 

“Well, I did say they could do anything…” Jeralt lamented while Byleth shook her head. “Do I even want to know why you had that on you?”

“It came in handy right?” Claude beamed despite the fact that his classmates were glaring daggers at him. “I mean, I passed right?”

Just as the former Knight Captain was about to respond, Seteth’s screeching voice could be heard overhead. “Professors?! What is the meaning of this?”

Grinning devilishly, Jeralt wrapped his arm around Claude. “Sure, but you get to be lectured by Seteth too.” 

“Touché.” 

Seteth laid it on them for the next hour over their “recklessness” and “tomfoolery”. Claude was stuck airing out the place and making sure the smell was completely gone, and Jeralt had a rather long report to write. There was also a ban on stink bombs, though Jeralt imagined that the boy’s days of mixing chemicals was far from over. 

After it was all said and done, the man couldn’t have been more relieved to get into his room and shut the door behind him. Taking armor off didn’t have the same problems as putting it on. Granted, most of them clattered to the ground noisily, Jeralt didn’t give a damn. He collapsed onto his bed burrowing his face in his pillow.  _ Too long of a day. _

For a while, he mulled over the events of the day. Byleth had overall been supportive and helpful in the process. She took charge of the class though for the most part, she had to just dismiss them early. He had caught sight of Byleth speaking to Claude again later. Though the feelings weren’t there yet, he recalled the way she used to fondly talk to the Golden Deer Leader and could see it developing little by little (granted this was just the beginning). A feeling of melancholy and yearning washed over him as he stared into the empty space beside him. How many times did she lie there next to him? He could almost see her now smiling, her small hand caressing his face. 

_ Does it hurt? _ She would ask gesturing to his arm.  _ You know, I heard about a flower… one that could cure everything. Do you think it would bring your arm back? _

He would laugh at her naivety stating that such a thing wouldn’t exist. That he’s fine with his arm like this because she could help him undress.

_ Jeez, you, that’s just a really bad excuse! _ She’d blush as she scolded him, but she would always smile nonetheless.  _ I’ll always be there to help you. I love you. _

“I love you too… I wish you were here.” He sighed, turning over to face the other way. He didn’t have time for daydreams or wishful thinking. Closing his eyes, he forced his melancholic thoughts away in hopes of sleep. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I think I'm going to dub this route, Jeralt's route.


End file.
